BL5307P-WO-0010 1/23 Order-picking system Description
The invention relates to an order-picking apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1.
Fully automated order picking concepts are increasingly being implemented to optimize warehouse logistics processes.
Order-picking apparatuses are known in which the packages are delivered in a single type and then placed on trays in layers or as individual packages via separating systems.
These loaded trays are then conveyed via a complex conveyor system, for example consisting of a large number of driven rollers on which the trays roll, to a tray storage system, where they are placed in storage via rack operating devices.
With this known solution, automatic order picking takes place outside the tray storage area.
For this purpose, the corresponding trays are removed from storage in the correct seguence by the rack operating devices, the packages are removed from the trays in the reguired number, separated and fed to a palletizing station in the packing seguence via long conveyor sections.
This packing seguence is generated by a packing pattern generator depending on the order.
If necessary, the remaining packages are returned to the tray storage area on these remaining trays.
One problem with this type of solution is that a considerable amount of effort is required for the provision, storage and preparation of the trays.
Secondly, the conveyors reguired to transport the trays to the tray storage area and from there to the order picking station are very complex.
In addition, faults occur relatively freguently at the infeed and outfeed points and corner transfers due to unstable or unstable packages, so that the corresponding
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2/23 conveyor section is blocked.
These faults then have to be eliminated manually by employees and lead to a 'seguence break' at the palletizing station, so that a comparatively high level of personnel effort is reguired despite automation.
DE 10 2013 100 048 A1 shows an order-picking apparatus in which a rack system is served by a number of shuttle vehicles.
These shuttle vehicles are eguipped with load handling means, the exit path of which is largely freely controllable depending on the type, number or dimensions of the goods.
It is thus possible for mixed packages to be picked up on the load handling means of the shuttle and transferred to other stations for storage or order picking.
In this type of system, order picking takes place directly at the shelf.
US 4 265 582 A describes a device for storing pallets which are preferably loaded with bar materials, i.e. elongated objects.
Several racks are arranged stationary next to each other and are accessible from at least one wide side via a loading and removal device which can be moved transversely to the racks.
Several shelves receive the pallets and have a guided feeding and removal device which moves under the racks arranged above the floor.
An additional guided, gantry-type feeding and removal device moves above the racks.
The feeding and removal device can also be configured as a lifting table that moves under the racks and has a device for loading and unloading the pallets.
For lateral support of a platform of the lifting table, guides may be attached to the vertical elements of the racks.
A lifting mechanism of a gantry crane can be formed by consoles guided on supports of the gantry.
These consoles can be pivoted into the vertical plane of the supports.
An order-picking apparatus is known from EP 2 995 579 A1 of the applicant, the shelves of which can be approached by a shuttle vehicle system.
This shuttle vehicle system has transport shuttles that can be moved along a longitudinal axis of the racks and transverse carriages or similar transport means that run transversely to the longitudinal extension of the racks, via which the transferring shelves of the racks can be approached.
These transferring shelves can also be approached via the transport shuttles of the shuttle vehicle system, which are guided in the region of the travel spaces.
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US 2015/0225187 A1 discloses a storage system with multiple storage areas configured for storing containers.
In the lower region of the storage arrangement, lifting transport devices are arranged on rails.
These lifting transport devices reach the lowermost shelves and take over the containers from these in order to move them transversely to the racks.
The containers are fed to the lifting transport devices via further devices which are arranged in the rack spaces so that they can be moved transversely to the lifting transport devices.
These devices are also rail-mounted and are arranged vertically offset from the lift transport devices.
Several of these devices are provided per rack space, one above the other, in order to be able to reach the entire rack height.
Both loading and unloading take place on the same plane below.
US 2016/0060037 A1 describes a storage system in which rail-mounted lifting transport devices are guided in several planes in spaces between racks.
Container transport carriages can be moved transversely to the direction of travel of the lifting transport devices, whereby these can also be moved along rails in several planes.
Via these lifting transport carriages, containers can be fed to a sequencer, via which the loading and removal of the containers can be controlled.
US 2016/0060037 A1 discloses an order-picking apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1.
DE 10 2009 017 241 A1 describes a storage system in which several storage levels are arranged one above the other.
Between each storage level, a service level is provided in which shuttle vehicles are movably arranged in order to reach practically any loading point of the level above or below.
The problem with the above solutions is that the moving paths of the individual transport devices can overlap and collisions cannot be ruled out as a result.
It is also disadvantageous that several transport devices arranged one above the other in the spaces between the racks are necessary.
The control and regulation effort for such systems is very high.
The object of the invention is to create an order-picking apparatus whose control and regulation is simplified compared to the prior art while maintaining high efficiency.
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The object is solved by an order-picking apparatus having the features of claim 1.
Advantageous further embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
The order-picking apparatus according to the invention has a plurality of racks, which in turn have a plurality of shelves arranged parallel to one another, with travel spaces being provided between two adjacent racks.
Rack operating devices are movable in these travel spaces.
The rack operating devices are configured in such a way that they can be used to approach the shelves when goods are removed or transferred.
According to the invention, the order-picking apparatus has a plurality of transverse carriages which can be moved transversely to the racks in order to transfer goods to or from a transfer compartment.
The goods are placed in storage via a feeding station and removed from storage via a removal station.
A number of upper transverse carriages are guided in a feeding plane (also called loading plane) assigned to the feeding stations.
A number of lower transverse carriages are guided in a removal plane assigned to the removal station.
This removal plane is arranged at a distance from the feeding plane.
According to the invention, the goods/packages are transported via transverse carriages to the transfer compartments of the racks or picked up from there.
The actual distribution in the respective rack takes place via the rack operating devices.
According to the invention, the loading plane is arranged in the region of the uppermost shelves and the removal plane in the region of the lowermost shelves.
In one embodiment, the removal plane is located below the rack plane spanned by the lower shelves, e.g. at a height of about 2200mm above the hall floor.
The loading plane is preferably arranged above a rack plane spanned by the uppermost shelves, e.g. at a height of about 9000mm above the hall floor.
In a preferred embodiment, the upper transverse carriages approach the transfer compartments below their own movement plane.
The lower transverse carriages
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5/23 approach the transfer compartments above their own movement plane.
The upper transverse carriages therefore approach the uppermost shelves as transfer compartments, while the lower transverse carriages approach the lowermost shelves as transfer compartments.
Preferably, the transverse carriages are configured as fork carriages and have height-adjustable load handling means.
Preferably, the height adjustment of the load handling means on the transverse carriages is performed by a telescopic system or a rack and pinion system.
In a particularly preferred example, the load handling means of the rack operating devices and/or the transverse carriages are adjustable in width.
These width-adjustable load handling means, which may be forks, for example, can be used to pick up and move a wide variety of goods and threads.
A pallet transport plane can be arranged below the removal plane, e.g. about 500 mm above the hall floor.
Pallet transport therefore takes place outside the effective range of the rack operating devices and transverse carriages.
It is particularly preferred if the pallet transport takes place in a region outside a region bounded by the racks, in particular in the region of a palletizer and depalletizer in front of the racks.
Pallet transport can also be carried out with automated floor conveyors.
Preferably, the upper transverse carriages are identical in number to the lower transverse carriages on the order-picking apparatus.
The guidance of the transverse carriages is particularly simplified if the transverse carriages are rail-guided.
In a preferred embodiment, the racks are configured as a double row of racks.
Only the outermost racks are arranged individually within the order-picking apparatus.
This arrangement allows the transfer compartments to be arranged within the double row of racks in every second rack.
Advantageously, the transfer compartments can thus
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6/23 be approached by the transverse carriages without collision in order to load and/or unload packages into the transfer compartments.
An example of this order-picking apparatus is explained in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings.
The following is shown:
Figures 1 shows a sectional view of a standard warehouse with an order-picking apparatus according to the invention;
Figure 2 shows an outline of a loading plane of the order-picking apparatus;
Figure 3 shows an outline of a removal plane of the order-picking apparatus;
Figure 4 shows a pallet transport plane;
Figure 5 shows a transverse carriages with telescopic system;
Figure 6 shows a transverse carriages with extended rack and pinion system;
Figure 7 shows a transverse carriages with retracted rack and pinion system;
Figure 8 shows a schematic view of the picking up capabilities of the rack operating devices;
Figure 9 shows a sectional view showing phases of loading;
Figure 10 shows a sectional view showing phases of removal;
Figure 11 shows a detailed view of a removal phase,
Figure 12 shows a cross-section with phases of loading and removal and
Figure 13 shows a cutaway frontal view of a section of an order-picking apparatus.
The order-picking apparatus 1 described below is, for example, part of a standard warehouse of a hypermarket chain, from which goods or packages 7 are distributed to the individual hypermarkets.
Such a standard warehouse usually has a goods entry and a goods exit, as well as storage rooms for a dry assortment, meat, frozen food and a fruit and vegetable hall.
Each of these regions may be configured as an order-picking apparatus 1 in the manner described below.
In the embodiment described below, the standard warehouse is arranged in a hall and is shown with a plurality of planes, a loading plane, a removal plane and a pallet transport plane.
A side view of the standard warehouse is shown in Figure 1, while Figures 2, 3 and 4 show outlines of the various planes, respectively.
BL5307P-WO-0010 7/23 A side view of such a standard warehouse is shown in Figures 1. A plurality of racks 2, 2' are arranged parallel to one another. The racks 2, 2' are of metal frame construction and extend vertically from a floor to a height of 9000 mm, for example. The racks 2, 2' each have a plurality of shelves 4. Travel spaces 6 are provided between each two racks 2 and 2', 2 and 2' etc., in which rack operating devices 8 can be moved. The side view in Figure 1 shows that a loading plane, which is described in more detail below, is arranged at the end of racks 2, 2', i.e. at the uppermost end of racks 2,
2'. In the loading plane, transverse carriages 10 are movable in order to transfer incoming goods or packages 7 for loading into the racks 2. A removal plane is arranged below the shelves 4. The removal plane is at a height of about 2200mm. In the removal plane below a rack support 18, transverse carriages 14 can be moved to take over and remove picked goods or packages 7 from racks 2. The transverse carriages 10, 14, which are described in more detail in Figures 5 to 7, have load handling means 22. The load handling means 22 are connected to the transverse carriages via a telescopic system 24 or a rack and pinion system 26. The distribution of goods or packages 7 from transfer compartments 5 to shelves 4 within racks 2 is performed by rack operating devices 8. The rack operating devices 8 are arranged so that they can be moved vertically along the travel spaces 6 on a pole 9. The pole 9 is guided between the loading plane and the removal plane. A guide 11 of the pole 9 is therefore mounted at the upper end below the loading plane and at the lower end above the removal plane. A collision with the transverse carriages 10, 14, which travel in the loading plane and the removal plane, is thus ruled out. The lower transverse carriages 14 move in the removal plane in such a way that they are located with an uppermost part of their construction below the rack support 18. The lowermost shelves 4 of each second rack 2 are configured as transfer compartments 5'. The rack operating device 8 moves the package 7 or goods to be removed from one of the shelves 4 into one of the transfer compartments 5'. This process is shown in detail in Figure 10.
BL5307P-WO-0010 8/23 The upper transverse carriages 10 move in the loading plane in such a way that they are located with a lowermost part of their construction above the uppermost shelves 4. The uppermost shelves 4 of each second rack 2 are also configured as transfer compartments 5. This process is shown in detail in Figure 9. Both the upper transverse carriages 10 and the lower transverse carriages 14 and their respective load handling means 22 are at no time in a collision region with the rack operating devices 8. If the load handling means 22 are loaded with packages 7 to be transported, the packages 7 are also outside an effective range of the rack operating devices 8. The order-picking apparatus 1 has, according to the outline of the loading plane in Figure 2, a rack system with the plurality of racks 2, 2'. Each of these racks 2, 2' has a plurality of shelves 4 for picking up trays, which are described in more detail below. Each of these trays generally carries a single type package 7 of the goods to be temporarily buffered in the order-picking apparatus 1 according to the invention. The racks 2, 2' are arranged parallel to one another, with travel spaces 6 remaining between adjacent racks, for example racks 2 and 2', in which one or more rack operating devices 8 can be moved. In other words, these rack operating devices 8 move parallel to the respective racks 2, 2'. Transverse carriages 10 can be moved transversely to the racks 2, 2'. These transverse carriages 10 can be moved along rails
12. These rails 12 are arranged above the racks 2, 2". Figure 3 shows that transverse carriages 14 are also guided on rails 16 in the removal plane. As already mentioned, the racks 2, 2' are of metal frame construction. The rails 16 guide the transverse carriages 14 underneath the rack support 18 (see Figure 1). In both the loading plane according to Figure 2 and the removal plane according to Figure 3, twenty transverse carriages 10, 14 can be guided on rails 12, 16 in the example shown. Four transverse carriages 10, 14 are combined to form one transverse carriage group 13, 15 each, so that five transverse carriage groups 13, 15 are arranged in the loading and removal plane according to this example. As mentioned, these rails 12, 16 run transverse to the longitudinal extension of the racks 2,
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9/23 2' in the loading plane and in the removal plane, respectively.
The moving path of the Upper transverse carriages 10 extends above the uppermost shelves 4 and the transfer compartments 5 of rack 2, while the moving path of the lower transverse carriages 14 extends below the lowermost shelves 4 and the transfer compartments 5' of rack 2.
Apart from the outermost racks 2, 2', the racks 2, 2' are arranged as a double row of racks within the order-picking apparatus 1. According to the present embodiment, three rack operating devices 8 travel between each of the individual racks 2, 2' in the travel spaces 6 formed in this way.
The plurality of rack operating devices 8 within a travel space 6 increases both the flexibility of the order-picking apparatus 1 and the possible total throughput of goods and packages 7. The rack operating devices 8 take the packages 7 from the upper transfer compartments 5 and store them in associated shelves 4. Loading is explained in more detail below in Figure 9. When the package 7 is retrieved for removal, the rack operating devices 8 move the package 7 from the shelves 4 to the lower transfer compartments 5'. The removal process is explained in more detail in Figure 10.
Each rack operating device 8 is responsible for at least two transverse carriage groups 13, 15. In this context, responsible means that the effective range of each rack operating device 8 extends at least over the width occupied by two transverse carriage groups 13, 15 and their rails 12, 16. According to the present embodiment, the rack operating devices 8 arranged on the outside are in operative engagement with two transverse carriage groups 13, 15 in each case, while the rack operating device 8 arranged centrally between the two other rack operating devices 8 is in operative engagement with three transverse carriage groups 13, 15. This assignment allows increased flexibility while at the same time reducing the risk of collision through parallel processing of packages 7 to be stored and retrieved.
Of course, modified arrangements are possible depending on the size and reguirements of the order-picking apparatus 1. Both the number of transverse carriages 10, 14 within a transverse carriage group 13, 15 and the sum of the transverse carriage groups 13, 15 can be freely determined.
This means that transverse carriage groups 13, can be implemented with just two transverse carriages 10, 14 or with up to ten
BL5307P-WO-0010 10/23 transverse carriages 10, 14. The number of transverse carriage groups 13, 15 and rack operating devices 8 can be reduced or increased accordingly. The racks 2, 2' are supported on the floor. As already explained, three rack operating devices 8 can be moved in each of the travel spaces 6 between the racks 2,
2'. Each shelf 4 and each transfer compartment 5, 5' of the racks 2, 2' arranged adjacent to the travel spaces 6 can be reached via these rack operating devices 8, as will be explained in more detail below. The goods are received via unloading stations and depalletizing stations in the loading plane. The goods exit via loading stations and palletizing stations located in the removal plane. The unmixed goods are delivered on pallets and fed to a depalletizer 20 in the loading plane. In the depalletizer 20, the goods or packages 7 are separated in the conventional way. After separation, the packages 7 are fed to the upper transverse carriages 10. These transverse carriages 10 and the lower transverse carriages 14 are configured as fork carriages. Figure 5 shows an example of such a fork carriage, which can adjust the height of the load handling means 22, i.e. the forks, via a telescopic system 24. In a neutral position, i.e. in a non-extended state of the telescopic system 24, the load handling means 22 can be moved above the racks 2, 2'. From this position, the load handling means 22 can be moved downwards via the telescopic system 24, i.e. the load handling means 22 can be moved downwards, between the racks 2, 2'. Instead of the telescopic system 24 as shown in Figure 5, a rack and pinion system 26 as shown in Figure 6 is also conceivable. The transverse carriages 10, 14 in Figure 5 are equipped with the above- mentioned telescopic system 24. The telescopic system 24 has a drive 30, for example an electric machine, which drives a belt 32, for example. Instead of a belt 32, a chain or similar power-transmitting and deflectable parts are of course also conceivable. The driven belt 32 moves a frame 36 along a guidance 34. In addition to the frame 36, a
BL5307P-WO-0010 11/23 column 38 is vertically movable by the belt 32 along the housing 40 of the transverse carriage 10, 14. The belt is guided along several deflection pulleys 42 and transfers the rotary movement of the drives 30 into a linear movement of the frame 36 and/or the column 38. Running wheels 44 are mounted along the outside of the housing 40. These running wheels 44 are guided in the rails 12, 16. Specifically, Figure 5 shows an upper transverse carriage 10. The drive 30 is mounted above the housing 40, while the running wheels 44 are mounted to the underside of the outer walls of the housing 40. The load handling means 22 are arranged in such a way that they can be moved further down than up. The lower transverse carriages 14 are similar in principle, mirrored on the underside of the load handling means 22. The load handling means 22 can be moved further up than down. The drive 30 is then mounted below the housing 40, while the running wheels 44 are attached to the upper side of the outer walls of the housing 40. Regardless of whether the transverse carriage 10, 14 is used in the loading plane or in the removal plane, the drive 30 is mounted on the side of the housing 40 facing away from the rack 2. In Figure 5c, the transverse carriages 10, 14 are shown in a moving position. The load handling means 22 are located outside the racks 2, 2' and the shelves 4. In this moving position, the transverse carriages 10, 14 can move transversely to the longitudinal axis of the racks 2, 2' without collision. Starting from this moving position, the load handling means 22 can be moved continuously by actuating the drive 30. The frame 36 moves vertically downward along the guidance 34 until the underside of the load handling means 22 is approximately on a horizontal plane with the deflection pulley
42c. From this state, the frame 36 initially no longer moves along the guidance 34. The column 38 moves in the same direction, i.e. downwards, along the transverse carriage 10, 14, until the column 38 has reached its maximum moving path in this direction. This is the case as soon as the upper side of column 38 is approximately level with deflection pulley 42e. Subsequently, the frame 36 can be lowered further along the guidance 34 until a maximum layout, in the shown embodiment example about 1200mm, measured
BL5307P-WO-0010 12/23 from the bottom of the housing 40 to the bottom of the load handling means 22, is reached. Of course, by suitable measures in the arrangement, relative movements between the individual components that can be controlled in a different way can also be achieved, such as, for example, an exclusive displacement of the frame 36 along the guidance 34, or an exclusive displacement of the column 38 relative to the housing 40. If the drive 30 is an electric machine, changing the rotational direction reverses the process described in the previous paragraph. Starting from a maximum layout according to Figure 5a, the frame 36 moves along the guidance 34 until the load handling means 22 reach the horizontal plane of the deflection pulley 42c, the frame 36 only moves further along the guidance 34 when the column 38 reaches with its lowest point, i.e. slightly below the deflection pulley 42c, approximately the horizontal plane of the side of the housing 40 of the transverse carriage 10, 14 facing the rack 2, 2'. A modified relative movement of the components with respect to one another is also conceivable during retraction of the telescopic system 24. As an alternative to a telescopic system 24, a rack and pinion system 26 for vertically moving the load handling means 22 of the transverse carriages 10, 14 is also conceivable. Such a rack and pinion system 26 is shown, for example, in Figures 6 and
7. On one side in the direction of travel of the transverse carriage 10, 14, two toothed racks 48 are mounted on a housing 46 so as to be movable in a vertical direction at a distance from one another. The toothed racks have a plurality of identically spaced pinions 52. A drive 50 for moving the toothed racks 48 is arranged in a housing 46. The rail-mounted transverse carriages 10, 14 have three running wheels 54 on both longitudinal sides of the housing 46. For example, the drive 50, such as an electric machine, drives a shaft 56 having two gearwheels 58 (both not shown), the gearwheels 58 being in engagement with the pinions 52 of the toothed racks 48. Alternatively, a single wide gearwheel 58 engaged with both toothed racks 48 is conceivable, or another system for moving a toothed rack
48.
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The drive 50 causes the gearwheels 58 to rotate and, by engaging the pinion 52 of the toothed racks 48, to move the racks 48 from a moving position shown in Figure 7, where the underside of the load handling means 22 is on a horizontal plane with the underside of the housing 46 of the transverse carriage 10, 14, allowing collision-free movement transverse to the longitudinal axis of the racks 2, 2', to a position shown in Figure 6. The position in Figures 6 represents the load handling means 22 in a region within the travel aisles 6 of the racks 2, 2' (not shown).
Specifically, in both Figures 6 and 7, an upper transverse carriage 10 is shown moving in the loading plane.
The load handling means 22 are shown movable in the direction of the removal plane, i.e. downward.
In the moving position, the toothed racks 48 protrude upwards from the transverse carriage 10, i.e. in the direction of the side facing away from the racks 2, 2'. As with the telescopic system 24, the transverse carriages 10, 14 are identical in the removal plane.
Here, they are inserted into the rails 16 in a mirror image of those moving in the loading plane, so that the load handling means 22 can be moved upwards from the moving position, i.e. in the direction of the loading plane, and the toothed racks 48 project downwards, in the direction of the floor.
The rack operating devices 8 and/or the transverse carriages 10, 14 have width- adjustable load handling means 22. This means that goods or packages 7 with different dimensions can be handled ideally and stored in or removed from the shelves 4.
As illustrated in Figure 8, the forks, i.e. the load handling means 22, of the rack operating devices 8 are configured to be adjustable in width without changing in length.
The initial width, i.e. the minimum width of the load handling means 22 of the rack operating devices 8, is about 300 mm and can be widened by up to 300 mm to a maximum width of about 600 mm.
The width can be adjusted, for example, using a telescopic system.
In the present embodiment, shelves 4 with dimensions of 1300 mm width and 900 mm depth are provided.
According to Figure 8a, four packages 7 with dimensions of 600x400mm, for example, can be stored in or removed from such a shelf 4. The rack operating device 8
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14 / 23 has widened the load handling means 22 to such an extent that the outer sides are close to the edges of the packages 7, e.g. to a width of approximately 600 mm.
Two packages 7 fit one behind the other on the load handling means 22.
In Figure 8b, packages 7 with much smaller dimensions, e.g. 300x200mm, are provided for picking up or transferring from/to the shelf 4. In order to transport the narrow packages 7 safely, the load handling means 22 are brought together to their minimum distance of about 300mm.
With a package depth of 200mm, four packages 7 fit one behind the other on the load handling means 22.
Shelves 4 occupied by different packages 7 can also be converted as shown in Figure 8c.
In this example, two packages 7 as shown in Figure 8a and four packages 7 as shown in Figure 8b are accommodated in one shelf 4. This can be implemented in each shelf 4 due to the flexibility of the width of the load handling means 22. In this way, maximum utilization of the capacity of the standard warehouse can be achieved as a function of order picking, since the shelves 4 can be used irrespective of the package size.
Figure 8d shows another example of a shelf 4 with packages 7 of dimension 400x300mm.
The uppermost shelves 4 of the racks 2 are transfer compartments 5. The transverse carriages 10 transfer the packages 7 located on the transverse carriages 10 to the respective transfer compartments 5. The transfer compartments 5 are therefore located directly below the loading plane, which is e.g. at a height of about 9000 mm above the floor.
After the packages 7 have been transferred from the transverse carriages 10 to the transfer compartments 5, the rack operating devices 8 move to the transfer compartments 5, pick up the packages 7 and store them in the shelves 4 provided for this purpose.
As already mentioned, several rack operating devices 8 are arranged in the respective travel spaces 6 between the racks 2, 2'. This arrangement means that the individual rack operating devices 8 only have to process a small part of the travel
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15/23 spaces 6 and therefore offer a very high degree of flexibility.
Each shelf 4 of the racks 2, 2' arranged adjacent to the travel spaces 6 can be reached via the rack operating devices 8.
Transfer compartments 5' are also arranged in the lowermost shelves 4 of racks 2. These transfer compartments 5' are therefore located just above the removal plane, the outline of which is shown in Figure 3. Depending on the order picking, the removal of the package 7 takes place in this removal plane, whereby the removal plane is located at a height of e.g. about 2200 mm above the hall floor.
The rack operating devices 8 approach the shelves 4 with the packages 7 to be removed, remove them from the shelf 4, and move the packages 7 into the transfer compartments 5' directly above the removal plane.
The lower transverse carriages 14 on the removal side take the packages 7 and feed them to the loader 28.
Like the upper transverse carriages 10, the lower transverse carriages 14 are guided on strand-like rails 12, 16. Twenty such transverse carriages 10, 14 can be moved in both the loading plane and the removal plane in the example shown.
The rails 12, 16 are divided into five regions grouped together in strand form.
Four transverse carriages 10, 14 are positioned in each of these regions.
A different number as well as a different distribution of transverse carriages 10, 14 and rails 12, 16 is of course conceivable.
In other words, above the loading plane there is a transverse carriage system with transverse carriage groups 13 consisting of transverse carriages 10 and rails 12, and below the removal plane there is a transverse carriage system with transverse carriage groups 15 consisting of transverse carriages 14 and rails 16. Both transverse carriage systems move transversely to the longitudinal direction of the racks 2, 2'. These two transverse carriage systems each serve only the transfer compartments 5 located either at the very top or the transfer compartments 5' located at the very bottom of the racks 2. Package handling within the shelves 4 is performed exclusively via the rack operating devices 8.
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Figure 9 schematically shows five phases of loading packages 7 into racks 2. The phases are to be viewed from right to left.
In the loading plane, the transverse carriages are known to move.
In a transfer station not shown, which is connected to the depalletizer 20, the transverse carriages 10, in this Figure 9 a transverse carriages 10 is shown as an example, take over in a first phase the package 7 to be stored with their load handling means 22. In the moving position, see Figure 5c, the transverse carriages 10 moves with the package 7 to a position above one of the racks 2'.
In a subseguent second phase, the package 7 is lowered to a storage height just above a rack bottom of a transfer compartment 5. For this purpose, the transverse carriages 10 lowers its load handling means 22 into a rack 2' that has no rack bottoms in the uppermost region, in this embodiment the region of the uppermost two shelves 4 or transfer compartments 5. A lowering of the load handling means 22 is thus possible in the region of the rack 2' without the load handling means 22 colliding with the rack operating devices 8 in the travel spaces 6 thereof.
At the end of the second phase, the load handling means 22 are located with their upper side just above a rack bottom of the transfer compartments 5. The load handling means 22 and the package 7 to be stored are thus located completely in a rack 2' of the double row of racks which does not have a transfer compartment 5, but an unoccupied region 17.
A subseguent third phase shows the load handling means 22 of the transverse carriages 10 being moved into the subseguent transfer compartment 5, which in this embodiment is arranged to the right of the rack 2' in which the discharge of the second phase takes place.
The package 7 resting on the load handling means 22 is moved into the transfer compartment 5. The load handling means 22 are lowered to a height in the non-continuous rack bottom of the transfer compartment 5 so that the package 7 rests in a support area of the transfer compartment 5 provided for this purpose, while the load handling means 22 are no longer in contact with the package 7.
In the latter position, the transverse carriages 10 moves in a fourth phase so far out of the transfer compartment 5 that the load handling means 22 are again in the left rack 2' without being in the travel space 6 of the rack operating devices 8. The load handling means 22 are in a similar position as in the second phase.
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After leaving the transfer compartment 5, the transverse carriages 10 are brought back into their moving position using the load handling means 22. The transverse carriage can then move back to the transfer station to pick up the next package 7 and start loading phase one again.
The entire structure can of course also be implemented as a mirror image of this embodiment.
Figure 10 schematically shows six phases of the removal of packages 7 from racks 2 and the transfer of the packages 7 to a palletizer 21. The phases are to be viewed from left to right.
Transverse carriages 14 travel in the removal plane and transport the packages 7 from the lower transfer compartments 5' to the palletizer.
In a first phase of the removal, the transverse carriage 14 moves to a position such that the load handling means 22 is located below a rack 2', in this embodiment the left one, that has no transfer compartments 5'. As in the loading plane, the transfer compartments 5' in the removal plane are located only in one row of each of the racks 2, 2' forming the double row of racks, in this embodiment the right one.
From this position, the load handling means 22 are moved vertically upwards into the rack 2' until they are at the level of the rack bottom of one of the transfer compartments 5'. The transverse carriage 14 then moves to the right in order to move the load handling means 22 into the non-continuous rack bottom of the transfer compartment 5'. Thus, the load handling means 22 are located directly below the package 7 to be transferred, as shown in the first phase of Figures 10.
In a second phase of the removal, the load handling means 22 are moved slightly upwards to lift the package 7 from the rack bottom of the transfer compartment 5'.
A third phase is characterized by the package 7 being moved out of the transfer compartment, with the package 7 being located on the load handling means 22. By moving the transverse carriage 14 to the left, the load handling means 22 are brought back into the left rack 2', in which there are no transfer compartments 5'.
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Since no rack bottoms obstruct the moving path, the load handling means 22 can be moved vertically downwards with the package 7. As a result, the transverse carriage 14 is in its known moving position below the travel spaces 6 of the rack operating devices 8. The package 7 is also below a possible collision region.
In this moving position, the transverse carriage 14 moves with the package 7 out of the rack region, as shown in a fifth phase, in order to transfer the package 7 to the palletizer 21 in a final sixth phase.
After transferring the package 7, the transverse carriage 14 can move back into the rack region to take over the next package 7 from the next transfer compartment 5".
The entire structure can of course also be implemented as a mirror image of this embodiment.
For both Figures 9 and 10, these show only one transverse carriage 10, 14 each to provide a simplified form of illustration.
Of course, the transverse carriages 10, 14 shown are part of a transverse carriage group 13, 15, which are each arranged in several transverse carriage groups 13, 15 within the loading plane and the removal plane of an order-picking apparatus 1.
Figure 11 shows a detailed view of a removal phase, more precisely the first phase of the removal.
The basic structure of the racks 2, 2' and thus also of the double row of racks is also illustrated here.
The double row of racks is arranged in such a way that one of the racks 2 has transfer compartments 5, 5' above and below the shelves 4, while the other rack 2' has only shelves 4 and has no compartments, shelves or the like at the level of the transfer compartments 5, 5' of the adjoining rack 2. Thus, as described above, it is possible for the transverse carriages 14 to approach the transfer compartments 5' of one rack 2 by driving the load handling means 22 through the other rack 2', i.e. within an unoccupied region 17, to the level of the transfer compartments 5', without the transverse carriages 14 being located in travel spaces 6 of the rack operating devices 8 and thus in a potential collision region therewith.
The upper transverse carriages 10 are not shown in Figure 11, but the moving paths for loading
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19/23 the transfer compartments 5 correspond in a mirrored manner to those of the lower transverse carriages 14, so that a further detailed view of the upper transverse carriages 10 is not necessary.
Figures 11 illustrates the loading and removal of the package 7 within the racks 2, here in a lateral view.
One of the upper transverse carriages 10, which is not shown, transports the package 7 and places it in the upper transfer compartments 5. From the time of the fourth phase of loading, i.e. when the load handling means 22 are moved out of the transfer compartment 5, the package 7 can be taken over by one of the rack operating devices 8 moving in the travel space 6 and can be placed in storage in a shelf 4 provided for this purpose.
As soon as a package 7 is to be removed from storage, it is again taken out of the shelf 4 by one of the rack operating devices 8 and transferred to one of the lower transfer compartments 5'. As soon as the rack operating device 8 has been fully extended from the transfer compartment 5', the package is picked up by one of the lower transverse carriages 14 and fed to the palletizer 21, which is not shown.
Figure 12 shows a section of the order-picking apparatus 1 according to Figure 11 above the removal plane and above the transfer compartments 5'. The double row of racks, each consisting of two racks 2, 2', are interrupted by the travel spaces 6. Within the travel spaces 6, the guidance 11 is shown, which accommodates the pole 9 on which the rack operating devices 8 are guided.
The lower transverse carriages 14 move transversely to the orientation of the racks 2, 2' and take over packages 7 from the transfer compartments 5'. The second transverse carriage 14 from the left is in one of the first two phases of removal.
Its load handling means 22 have loaded a package 7 but are still in rack 2 with transfer compartments 5'. The two transverse carriages 14 on the right are in the third phase of removal.
The load handling means 22 have loaded package 7 and are located in the unoccupied region 17 of the other rack 2' of the double row of racks.
The transverse carriage 14 shown on the left is in the fourth or fifth phase of removal.
The load handling means 22 have loaded a package 7, the transverse carriage 14 is in a moving position.
In the upper region of Figure 12, packages 7 are shown arranged in lower transfer compartments 5' in the rack 2. These packages 7 have a different size than the
BL5307P-WO-0010
/ 23 packages 7 loaded on the load handling means 22 of the transverse carriages 14. In this illustration above the rack 2 and the transfer compartments 5', the unoccupied region 17 of another double row of racks is located in the rack 2'. In the lower region of Figures 12, unoccupied transfer compartments 5' of rack 2 are shown.
In rack 2', which is directly adjacent to rack 2, there is also the unoccupied region 17, over which the load handling means 22 of the transverse carriages 14 can lift the package 7 to the height of the transfer compartments 5' without having to move into the travel space 6 of the rack operating devices 8.
In a frontal view according to Figure 13, a simplified representation of the loading and removal phases is shown in a section along the rack rows.
The individual loading phases in the upper region of Figure 13 are marked P1 to P4, corresponding to phases one to four.
The phases of removal in the lower region of Figure 13 are marked P2 to P5 corresponding to phases two to five.
The loading and removal, as well as the associated retraction and extension of the load handling means 22 of the transverse carriages 10, 14 through the unoccupied regions 17 to reach the transfer compartments 5, 5', concludes Figures 9 to 12.
In the region of loading above in Figure 13, in the first phase P1, shown on the outside in each case, the transverse carriage 10 with the load handling means 22, which have loaded a package 7, is in the moving position.
In the second or third phase P2/3, the load handling means 22 with the package 7 are either in the unoccupied region 17 of the rack 2' or already in a transfer compartment 5 of the rack 2. The package 7 has therefore not yet been transferred to the transfer compartment 5. This is the case in the fourth phase P4. The package 7 is transferred to the transfer compartment 5, the load handling means 22 are lowered and are either directly below the package 7 in the rack 2 or already in the unoccupied region 17 of the rack 2'. For transferring the package 7, the load handling means 22 have to move with an upper region only minimally below a lower region of the transfer compartment 5 to enable an extension.
For better visibility, the load handling means 22 in the fourth phase P4 are shown in Figure 13 extending far into the lower transfer compartment 5. A collision of the load handling means 22 with a package 7 in the lower of the two upper transfer compartments 5 is excluded.
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In the region of removal below in Figure 13, the transverse carriage 14 is in the fourth and fifth phase P4/P5, each shown externally, with a package 7 on the load handling means 22 in the moving position.
In the second phase P2, the package 7 is already resting on the load handling means 22 of the transverse carriage 14. Previously, the package 7 was in one of the lower transfer compartments 5'. In the present illustration, the transition from the second to the third phase could also be shown, so that the package 7 is already located on the load handling means 22 in the unoccupied region 17 of the rack 2'. The third phase P3 shows the package 7 on the load handling means 22 in the unoccupied region 17 in the rack 2'. In the unoccupied region 17, the package 7 is lowered with the load handling means 22 of the transverse carriage 14. At the end of the third phase P3, the transverse carriage 14 with the package 7 is in its moving position in the fourth or fifth phase in order to move the package 7 to the palletizer 21, which is not shown.
Below the removal plane, which as already mentioned, is located e.g. at a height of about 2200 mm, the pallet transport plane is located at a height of e.g. about 500 mm above the hall floor.
The pallet transport takes place outside the racks 2 and thus outside the travel range of both the transverse carriages 10, 14 and the rack operating devices 8. The pallets can also be transported by automated floor conveyors.
Disclosed is an order-picking apparatus with racks having a plurality of shelves.
For transferring or removing goods, these shelves can be approached via a rack operating device.
The rack operating device can be moved both horizontally and vertically along the longitudinal axis of the racks and takes the goods from transfer compartments into which the goods are deposited by transverse carriages that can be moved transversely to the longitudinal axis of the racks.
In the loading plane, these transverse carriages are used to transfer the goods to the rack operating devices, while in the removal plane they can be moved to remove the goods.
BL5307P-WO-0010 22/23 List of reference signs: 1 order-picking apparatus 2,2 rack 4 shelf 5,5' transfer compartment 6 travel space 7 package 8 rack operating device 9 pole transverse carriages 11 guidance 12 rail 13 transverse carriage group 14 transverse carriage transverse carriage group 16 rail 17 unoccupied region 18 rack support depalletizer 21 palletizer 22 load handling means 24 telescopic system 26 rack and pinion system 28 loader drive 32 — belt 34 guidance 36 frame 38 column housing 42 deflection pulley 44 running wheel
BL5307P-WO-0010 23/23 46 housing 48 toothed rack drive 52 pinion 54 running wheel 56 shaft 58 gearwheel